Sacrifice
by Nakoruru-1
Summary: Out of all the lessons that the Gundam pilots will learn over time, this one hits them the hardest. {One shot story.}


Author's Notes: Got this idea when it was raining one day and I was back in high school. (note, I am not that old, so don't think of me as an old lady) And I was really in a Gundam Wing phase. The story is about as the title says. Hope you enjoy.  
  
Oh, and I do not own any of the Gundam Wing characters. The original concept of Gundam was by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Gundam Wing is a creation of Masashi Ikeda and Sunrise Studios. I just own the fic. Thanks.  
  
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The battlefield was silent now, as the rain poured down over the land. In the midst of the rain stood five figures. The fighting had stopped some time ago; they were all relieved for that much. One of the figures stood apart from the others. His long brown hair was plastered to his face. His hands were clenched into fists.  
  
"Damn, OZ. Damn, Romefellar. Damn all of them," swore Duo. His clothing was soaked through, as were the clothes of the others. His tears mixed with the cold rain.  
  
Not too far from Duo stood Hiro. His face held no expression, as he stood staring at the rubble. Inwardly, he felt something swirling around inside of him. The events of the day had not only shook Duo, but the "perfect soldier" also. Hell, the whole incident had taken a lot out of all of the pilots.  
  
[Flash back]  
  
The plan had been simple. They were planning to destroy a mobile suit factory that was mass-producing Taurus and Leos. They set had set off, flying into the area. The whole thing had been a piece of cake. Quatre and Trowa would be the distractions, while Wufei, Hiro, and Duo went for a head on attack.  
  
Quatre and Trowa would proceed to help after isolating a group of mobile suits and destroy them. The battle was heated, but nothing the pilots could not handle. Everything was fine, then a section of the factory collapsed.  
  
"So, more OZ suits to destroy. No problem for the God of Death," grinned Duo, twirling his beam scythe around. Swinging it, he connects with three enemy suits.  
  
"Duo, how are you holding up?" inquired Quatre, his usual worried self.  
  
"Fine. Everything cool with you and the others." Duo slashed into another suit.  
  
"Fine, be careful."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm going to head over and help Hiro and Wufei-" Duo's words are caught in his throat, as he peered into the section of the factory that had collapsed. Why hadn't he seen it before? Even if he was battling, he should have seen it. If any one of the pilots had been in his cockpit at that moment, they would have seen just how deathly pale he was.  
  
"Duo, is something the matter?" Quatre asked urgently. Duo did not answer him. Quatre rushed the Sandrock over to the area where Duo was. "Duo!"  
  
"Oh, god," Duo croaked.  
  
"Duo, what's the matter?"  
  
"The factory." Was all he could say. He heard Quatre's breath draw in as he saw what the pilot of the Deathscythe was talking about.  
  
The area that had happened to collapse had three small bloody arms hanging out of the rubble. Everyone, even the OZ soldiers seemed to stop fighting as Duo dug out the debris in a dazed state. What he found underneath was devastating.  
  
Twelve children. Twelve small bloody bodies sprawled under the rubble. How were children, no older than six and seven, able to sneak into the factory without being noticed? Didn't they realize a battle was going on? Were they trying to see the fight?  
  
Time stood still as the pilot, and OZ soldiers, were taken in with horror by this. The OZ soldiers took the time to retreat from the area. It was a few minutes later that the five boys tumbled out their suits to look at the carnage disbelieving. Not too long from that, the rain begun to fall.  
  
[Flash back ends]  
  
"DAMN YOU, OZ!" screamed Duo. His angry cobalt eyes flooding with tears.  
  
Trowa looks at Duo. Duo had every right to be angry, it was the area he had been fighting in, and he had been the one to notice first. Trowa looked down at Quatre, who was shivering. Trowa pulled Quatre closer to him. *This is affecting us all. The set back in all wars: sacrifice.* A tiny shiver shot up his spine. He hugged Quatre closer to him.  
  
Wufei stood apart from the others also. Water was running down his glossy black hair and face. His fists were clenched tight as he turned to look at the others. "I think we should leave." The other four Gundam pilots turned to stare at the Chinese boy.  
  
"We can't leave them like this, Wufei!" choked out Quatre.  
  
"Then what do you suggest. We bury them, with the threat of OZ returning? Then we be blamed for trying to cover up this!" said Wufei evenly.  
  
"I don't care what others think of us. We can't leave them!" shouted Quatre. "It wouldn't be fair to them!"  
  
"Quatre. Wufei is right. We should hurry and leave. We've spent enough time here," said Hiro. He looks at Quatre directly. His face not betraying what he really felt.  
  
"But, Hiro!"  
  
"Listen. There are always sacrifices in wars. I know it's horrible, but we must go on. We are soldiers fighting to stop things like this from happening. You have to understand, now move out." Duo lowers his eyes from the others.  
  
[Back at Quatre's estate]  
  
Duo is still in his wet clothes as he lies on the bed. His tears were sharp, as he made no attempt to stops them. He hears the door open, then close. There was silence before more weight settles on the bed.  
  
A soft hand stroked his wet hair. "H-Hiro."  
  
"What is it?" inquired Hiro.  
  
"They will find the bodies, right? They will be given proper burials?" Duo grabbed a fist full of the blanket. "And OZ will pay dearly."  
  
"They will," agreed Hiro. "Now change out of those wet clothes. You'll catch a cold."  
  
"Worried about me now, Hiro?" For the first time since the incident, Duo grinned. He gave Hiro a funny look.  
  
"We need to stay in top shape if we're going to avenge those children," Hiro said in his usual tone.  
  
"You're right. Thanks, Hiro." Saying nothing, Hiro gets up and walks out the door. Suddenly, something falls to the floor. Reaching up, Hiro places a hand to his face. Pulling back, he found his fingertips were wet.  
  
"Am-I crying?" Hiro thinks as he walks back to his room to think. The room is dark as he walks slowly to the window. "Sacrifices must be made in a war. It's only natural we feel sadness or guilt." Pushing open the window, he looks at the rain with emotionless eyes. "We fight to stop these things from happening."  
  
The rain poured down still. It was lighter than before though. Little teardrops for all the sacrifices made in wars.  
  
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Hope you enjoyed the story. I want everyone to know that if it seemed a little bit yaoi like, well, I can't help it. Send reviews, send flames, send teddy bears, I don't care. As long as I get something. 


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